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Editor in Chief:
Jessica Blanchard
Managing Editor:
Jeremy Lang
Editorial Editor:
Julie Lauderbaugh
Assistant Editorial Editor:
Jacquelyn Lewis
Wednesday, April 10,2002
Editorials
Let the sun shine
on EMU's new
solar energy plan
Kudos are in order to the Erb Memorial Union
Board and the Ecological Design Center for
their forward thinking in regard to the pro
posed solar panels. The project has been on the
docket for nearly a year and was on hold while the
logistical and aesthetic problems concerning the
placement of the panels were resolved. But with the
new plan to place the panels atop poles on the
EMU’s south balcony, the vision for a more energy
efficient power source will soon become a reality —
and it’s about time.
The proposed trio of vaulted panels may not be the
most aesthetically pleasing design for the EMU, it is
i are a good start for the building. Because the panels
| will be so visible — students can literally walk under
neath them — the solar energy project will serve as a
great educational tool for both University students
and visitors. ^
The project started last year when ASUO allocated
$100,000 from the its over-realized fund specifically
for solar energy. The cost of the three panels on the
EMU’s south balcony adjacent to the Skylight Lounge
and an educational kiosk explaining how they work
will be nearly $20,000, according to EMU Director
Dusty Miller. The remaining $80,000 is earmarked
solely for the solar energy project and will be used to
purchase and maintain more panels.
Originally, planners wanted to put flat solar panels
atop the EMU Ballroom’s roof, however, further inves
tigation revealed the edifice was not properly rein
forced to hold the weight. Thankfully, the EMU is
planning to renovate various roofs to advance the so
lar panel project and keep the ecologically friendly
master plan in mind.
The EMU should be commended for keeping the
long-term benefits of solar energy in mind during its
planning. Although monetary breaks on the EMU’s
energy bills may not appear for some time because of
fluctuating rates, it should prove lucrative in the fu
ture — especially if the EMU can sell the energy back
to the Eugene Water and Electric Board.
Now, if only the sun would shine ...
Campus residents
should take proper
safety precautions
Friday’s incident at H.P. Barnhart, where almost
$3,000 worth of women’s clothing and personal
effects was stolen, only proves something we
should already know: Residence hall inhabitants
should lock their doors.
After a series of recent attacks and masturbation
incidents on campus, residence hall dwellers (and
the campus community, in general) should already
be on alert for shady characters and take reasonable
safety precautions. Residence halls should be a place
where students feel comfortable and safe, but stu
dents who live in residence halls must also be aware
of their responsibility to protect themselves.
Locking doors is a simple precaution that can
help avoid events like Friday’s underwear theft in
cident. Although police believe the thief was a
Barnhart resident, if neighbors had remembered to
lock their doors, the suspect would have had a sig
nificant problem entering any room but his or her
own. While the University has an important respon
sibility to keep residents safe, residents also share a
personal obligation to take reasonable safety pre
cautions themselves.
Take me far from the ballgame
*%
Steve Baggs Emerald
our hours and twelve minutes,
408 pitches, 23 runs, 27 hits, 2
JL errors, 15 strikeouts and 19
walks. No, that’s not my last visit to a
singles bar — it’s this season’s open
ing day baseball game between
Toronto and Boston, a 12-11 exercise
in tedium.
Another baseball season is here, and
the sport is in trouble. I don’t mean la
bor relations, contraction, competitive
balance or any of that stuff — I mean
the game itself. Like Bernie Mac’s
niece, the game of baseball is boring.
Dull. Dull as a rock. The games take
too long, there are too many home
runs, and there isn’t enough action on
the base paths. The NBA’s slogan was
“I love this game!” Major League Base
ball’s slogan should be “This game
needs help!” I have a few suggestions
to offer. Baseball is pretty messed up,
but it’s nothing that couldn’t be fixed
with shotguns, nudity and horses.
There are too many home runs in to
day’s games. Home runs used to be ex
citing, but they just don’t mean much
anymore. Before 1998, only two play
ers had ever hit 60 home runs in a sea
son; since then, it’s been done six
times, and according to stats available
at the Major League Baseball’s official
Web site, overall home runs have in
creased approximately 1.3 gazillion
percent since 1995. Utilizing a Desig
nated Skeet Shooter (DSS) would
make home runs meaningful again.
The DSS is a fourth outfielder, but in
Staff Commentary
Christopher
Hirth
stead of a glove, he carries a shotgun.
His job is to shoot at fly balls that he
thinks are going for home runs. Any
ball he hits becomes a ground-rule
double. To ensure that the DSS is care
ful where he aims his weapon, his
team will forfeit the game if he acci
dentally or intentionally shoots a
league official, umpire, member of the
opposing team or fan (except on sou
venir flak jacket night). Unless he
shoots Bud Selig, his team automati
cally wins the game.
Baseball needs to do something to
encourage better fielding. Just when
you think an inning is going to end,
some player makes an error and the
game drags on and on. Numerous sci
entific studies have shown that the
best way to get peak performance out
of anyone is public humiliation.
While it’s already embarrassing for a
shortstop when he sees “E-6” flash on
the scoreboard after he makes an error,
clearly it’s just not embarrassing
enough to prevent mistakes. Better
fielding can be ensured by borrowing
from that other great American pas
time: strip poker. Under Strip Fielding
rules, any time a fielder makes an er
ror, he would have to remove one item
of clothing and play subsequent
games that way. After having to play
in front of 30,000 fans in nothing but
spikes, a glove and cap (so we can tell
which team they’re on), I think field
ers would tend to concentrate a little
more next time.
Some people think baserunning is
the most exciting part of the game, but
really, what’s the big deal about some
guy running around the sides of a
square? Baseball players usually aren’t
in such great shape, so half the time
it’s some slow, fat guy doing the run
ning. Not only that, there are also dou
ble plays to worry about. Just when
something interesting starts happen
ing, two guys get out, and the inning is
over. How boring. Now, the chariot
race in the movie Ben Hur, that was
actually exciting. Baseball needs that
kind of action. Baserunners should be
able to use chariots. Then they’d be
able to get around the bases a lot
faster, and if the chariots were the
kind with swords sticking out of the
wheels, I bet that would really reduce
the number of double plays.
Baseball used to be a beautiful game,
America’s pastime, a microcosm of
everything that’s good about this coun
try. It can be that way again, if only
Major League Baseball will follow my
suggestions. One can only hope.
E-mail columnist Christopher Hirth
atchrisfopherhirth@dailyemerald.com.
His opinions do not necessarily reflect
those of the Emerald.
Editorial Boarii Members
Jeremy Lang Jacquelyn Lewis
ma oi ass jrial editor
Am am Jerad Nicholson
ive com Native
Peter Hockadav
newsroom representative